Stamping-machine.



W. T. B. ROBERTS.

STAMPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1913.

1 1 82, 1 05. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W. T. B. ROBERTS.

STAMPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULV301 1913.

Patented May 9,1916.

3 SHEQTS-SHEET 2 l WT/VESXESZ Maw W. T. B. ROBERTS.

STAMPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1913.

1,182,105. I Patented May 9,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

err]; srarns PATENT OFFCE.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUC KINGHAM ROBERTS, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF

7 TION OF NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVILLIAM T. B. Roenn'rs, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain I Improvements in Stamping-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for stamping or splitting-or performing both operations upon a piece of work such, for example, as a sole which islater to be incorporated in a boot or shoe, and is concerned more particularly with certain im provements on the machine shown and described in United States patent to Nichols No.1,058,623 of April 8, 1913, in which each piece of work is fed past measuring and detecting mechanism which detectsthin, spots in the work and automatically adjusts the splitting and stamping. mechanism in accordance therewith. I I

The general object of the present invention is to render machines'of this type more simple in constructionand operation and at the same time to increase their precision and sensitiveness. a x

In machines of this type in which the work is traveling at the'time of the stamp ing operation, it is desirable that the contact of the stamping member with the work be brief and that the duration of such contact be the same for each piece of work.

Heretofore thestamping member has re-' mained in contact with a thick piece of work longer than the thin piece with the result that the symbols impressed upon the thick pieces of work have been somewhat blurred and ill-defined.

One feature of thepresent invention consists of means for varying the time of op eration of the stamping member in accordance with thethickness of the work so as to insure that the contact of the stamper with the work shall be substantially, uniform whether the work is thick or thin. This and other features of the invention, including certain detailsof construction and combina tions of parts will be described in connection with an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims. a

Referring to the accompanying "draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

7 STAMPING-MACHINE.

ings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine in which the present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the rear portion of the machine; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the machine on the line 3-3 of Fig. 7 Fig. 4: is a'plan with certain parts shown in section; Figs. 5 and 6 arerespectively a plan and a section showing one of the inclines and means for securing it adjustably to the slide bar; Fig. 7 is a section through the forward portion of the machine; Figs- 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustrating the effect of changing the position of the stop which controls the actuation of the stamping wheel.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to at, the general mode of operation of the machine will first be described. At the front of the machine are mounted two rolls 1 and 3 the lower one of which iscapable of moving up and down as well as of tilting endwise so as to contact with any thin places which may exist in either edge, of the sole; and the movements of this roll, which will be called the detecting roll, serve to adjust the two inclines 5 (see Fig. 2) the positions of which determine the limit of possible upward movementof the upper or gage roll 7 (see PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A GORPORA- t Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed July 30,1913. Serial No. 782,117. I

Fig. 3) of the splittingmechanism, said mechanism consisting of the upper roll 7, the lowerroll ,9 and the knife 10.. A stampingwheel 14 is also set by the movement of the detectingroll 3; and the construction that, for example the thickness of the heel portion of the sole will have no reflect. All

of these features and characteristics are possessed by the: machine 'of the patent,but in the present machine the construction and operation of the mechanism for transmitting thedeterminations of the detecting mechanism to the splitting and stamping mecha nism and the mechanism for operating the gate differ from those of the patented ma chine, while in' addition means are provided for automatically timing the operation of the stamping mechanism in accordance with the thickness o f the sole.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4: and 7, the new transmitting mechanism will first be described. The lower or detecting roll 3 is mounted in a yoke l6 (Fig. 7) which, like that of the prior patent, is mountedfor vertical and tilting movement, this yoke in the present machine being supported by a rod 15 which is loosely held between the underside of said yoke and the upper end of a spring'pressed plunger 17. The detecting roll 3 thus moves up and down in accordance with the thickness of the sole and tilts endwise whenever a portion of the sole is encountered of which one edge is thicker than the other.

Through the base of the yoke are formed passages 19 in which are pivoted the ends of rods 21 which extend through passages in a transmission lever 11, said rods having nuts 23 on their lower ends by which the transmission lever is supported. This lever is more clearly shown in Fig. 3 wherein its pivot 25 appears. With the construction thus far described, asin that of the patented machine, the position of the transmission lever will depend at any time upon the thinnest spot in the edge of the sole which at that time is being engaged by the rollers l and 3. g

The operative connection between the transmission lever 11 and theslide bar 27 which carriesthe inclines 5 of the splitting mechanism (see Fig. 2) comprises a vertical rod 29 slidable in hearings in the frame, said rod carrying about midway of its length an antifriction roll 31 (see Fig.

"1 3) located in the path of oscillation of upward movement of the rod.

27 to which the inclines 5 are secured.

the transmission lever 11 and atits lower end a plunger which fits in the cylincer 33, the plunger and cylinder together forming a dash-pot which cushions the A spring 35, the'lower end of which is attached to the frame of the machine and the upper end to the bracket which carries the roll 31, normally holds said roll in contact with the lever 11. Upon the upper part of the slide rod 29 a wedge 37 (see Fig. 2) is secured which is adapted to bear against a roll 39 carried by a bracket ll fast to the slide bar The wedge 37' is so disposed that downward v movement of the same under the influence of the spring 35, when the transmission lever 11 is lowered by a sole acting to depress the detecting roll 3, will push the slide 'bar 27 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 to separate the inclines 5 from the oppositely disposed inclines as which are fastto the bearings of the upper roll of the splitting mechanism;

Conversely the lifting of the rod 29 by the transmission lever 11, due to a thinner part of the sole being engaged by the rolls 1 and 3, will raise the wedge 37 and permit the slide bar 27 to be moved to the left by a spring 45' whiclris secured at one end to the frame of the machine and at the other end to the slide bar. The distance apart of the inclines 5 and is at any given instant will thus depend upon the thickness of the part of the sole which is then in contact with the detecting roll 3.

The inclines 5 are adjustably secured (see Figs. 5 and 6) to the slide bar 27 so that the splitting mechanism may be set to trim off from the sole an amount somewhat in excess or somewhat less than would otherwise be the case. Each incline is secured to the slide bar 27 by screws 4:7 which pass through slots 49 in the bar and are screwed into the incline so that the latter may be adjusted along the bar. This adjustment may conveniently be accomplished by providing a stud 51 secured in the bar which has has an eccentr'c projection 53 extending into a transverse groove in the incline. The head of the stud has a kcrf to permit it to be turned easily, and indicating marks may be provided if desired on said head and on the top of the bar to facilitate proper adjustment of the wedge.

It is sometimes desirable to set a limit to the approach of the inclines 5 and 43 so that no sole can be split to less than a predetermined thickness irrespective of whether or not thinner spots are detected. In order so to limit the approach a stop screw 55 threaded through a portion of the frame of the machine is located in the path oftlie bracket 41.

It is, of course, necessary to lock the slide bar 27 rigidly before the splitting operation takes place. The mechanism for doing this is operated by gates on either side of the detecting roll 3 and is so arranged that, like the machine of the prior patent, the slide bar 27 during the passage of the forward portion of the sole will be prevented from movement in a direction to separate the inclines 5 and 4:3, and as soon as the heel of the sole has passed from beneath a gate l3, prescntly to be described, the slide bar .7 will be locked from movement in either direc tion. Thus, during the passage of the forward portion of the sole through the detecting mechanism, the slide bar 27 will be moved to the left (Fig.2) as each succeedingly thinner spot in the sole is encountered by the roll 3, but will not he moved to the right whena succeeding thicker spot is encountered. This mechanism comprises two racks 57, 59 secured one above the other to theslide bar 27, the teeth of the two racks being oppositely inclined and both facing rearwardly of the machine. In position to cooperate with these racks, respectively, two

l in Inn spring prcssedpawls157, 159 are located in sockets inthe frame of themachine,'said pa'wls having toothed ends adapted to engage. withthe teeth of the racks andbeing so acted upon by their-springs that unless prevented they will contact with said racks and hold the slide bar 27 from movement in either direction. The pawl 15'? when in engagement with the rack v57 prevents approach of the inclines 5 and 48 and the pawl 159. when in engagement with the'rack 59 prevents separation of theinclines 5 and -13. In the operation of the machine it is necessary. at times that both pawls should be held out of engagement with the racks, at other times that one pawl should he in. and one gut, and at still other times that both should In order to control the positions of the pawls two tappetrods 257 and259 are provided each rod being arranged to slide in hearings in the frame of the machine and be ing adapted to press against a projection on its respective pawl. The tappet rod 257, which. is arranged to control the pawl 157 and thereby to prevent or to permit the approach of the inclines 5 and 43, is connected to one end of an upright arm 61 the hub of which is angularly movable about the axis of a rod 63 carried by the frame of the machine. At its outer end (see Fig. 1) this hub has a second arm which is integral with the gate 13. When, therefore, the gate is in raised position, as shown in the drawings,

the tappet rod 257 will be in its rearward position and will act to hold the pawl 157 out of engagement with the rack 57 whereb y approach of theinclines'5 and .43..will be permitted. This gate 13.,as will presently be explained, is adapted tofall when the rear end of the sole passesfrom beneath it at which timenthe tappet rod 257 is moved forwardly to release the pawl 15?. The inclines 5 and 43 are thus free to approach one another as successively thinner-spots in the sole are detected :until the rear of the sole passes frombeneath the gate '18 after which no further approach ofthe inclines is possible. As will be explained, the pawl 159 comes into operation before the pawl:157 so that with the throwing in of the pawl 157 slide bar 27 is securely locked from movement in either direction and remains so locked until the sole has been stamped and split. I i 1 3 The tappet rod 259 is connected to an arm 65 of the three-armed lever pivoted to the frame at 67, the other two, of said arms being indicated at 165 and 265. Upon the arm 165, which is in the form of a cylindrical rod, isadjustably mounted a second or inner gate 69.' When the forward end of a sole emerges from between the rolls land 3 and lifts this gate the'tappet rod 259 is pulled forwardly so as to release the the length of the sole.

pan/1x159 and permit said pawl to engage anism thus begins when the forward end of the sole lifts the gate 69. Until this liftmg the slide bar 27 is free to move from side to side according as thicker thin spots are engaged by the rolls 1 and 3. Conse quently by adjusting. the position of the gatef69 on the arm 165 the machine can be caused to split the sole in accordance with the thinnest spot in a selected area of said sole. In order to maintain the splitting mechanism securely locked during the splitting operation a presser foot 71 is carried at the rear end of the arm 165, it being understood that the distance from the gate 69 to the presser foot 71 is less than The construction and operation of the stamping mechanism, which except fora certain controlling device is practically the same as that of the machine of the prior patent, may be briefly described as follows:

stantly pressed downwardly by a hammer '7 6, said hammer-being actuated by a coiled spring 77 whioh'is fast at one end to said hammer and at the otherend to thestationary shaft uponwhich said hammer is loosely mounted. The stamping wheel is normally held up against the force ofthe spring by a cam 78 i (see Fig. 3) mounted upon ashaft 79' and this shaft is caused to be connected with the main driving shaft 81 of the machine '(see Fig. 1) by clutch mechanism like that shown in the prior patent, said mechanism comprising a clutch gear 83 normally loose on the driving shaft 81 which is caused-to engage a similar clutch gear 8% fast upon said shaft when the roll 7 of the splitting mechanism is raised by the entrance of a sole between said roll and the roll 9. The gearing between the clutch gear 83 and the cam shaft 7 9 has been omitted from the drawing of the present ma chine. -The cam, however, movement of which permits the spring (not shown) to move the clutch gear 83 into engagement "witlrthe clutch gear 81 is indicated atd85 in Fig. 1. This cam, when in the position shown in Fig- 1, holds the clutch gear 83 from engagement with the clutch gear 84 but when swung in the counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, permits the clutch gear 83 to be forced into engagement with the clutch gear 84.

With this brief description of the function and operation of the cam 85, a detailed description of which will be found in the prior patent, the mechanism for throwing out the cam 85 and for operating the gate 13 will now be described. A strap 86 which is loosely mounted on the shaft of the roll 7 has attached to it a rod 87 pivoted at 88 to a lever 89 which in turn is pivoted to the frame at 90. Projecting upwardly from the lever 89 and pivoted to said lever is a rod 91 the upper end of which is arranged to contact with and to lift a projecting portion of the cam 85 so as to swing said cam on its center 92 at the proper time and connect the clutch gears 83 and 84 for the purpose of rotating the cam 78 by which the stamping wheel 14 is first permitted to be forced down upon th stock and then lifted again into the position shown in the drawings. The rod 91 is provided with a cam surface near its upper end to engage with a'stud 93 on a lever 94, whereby said rod will be disengaged from the cam 85 after said cam has been lifted so that said cam may swing back and disconnect the clutch gears in the manner described in the prior patent.

A spring 95 holds the rod 91 at all times in contact with the stud 93.

The lever 94, which i pivoted to the frame at 96, carries at its inner end a roll 97 which runs on a cam 98 fast to the shaft 79 of the lifting cam 78; and pivoted to the outer end of said lever and depending from it is a latch'99 normally held'by a spring plunger 100 in engagement with a. stud 101- on the gate 13 so as to hold the gate normally in raised position. In order to trip the latch at the proper time a roll 102 which bears against said latch is carried at the outer end of the arm 265. When, there fore, the front end of the sole has passed be-' tween the rolls 1 and 3 and lifts the gate 69, the arm 265 will be moved angularly to cause the roll 102 to swing the latch 99-to the left and thereby release the gate 13. It should be understood, however, that the gate falls only slightly at this time since it is still supported by the sole which i passing beneath it, and that the complete and operative falling of the gate does not occur until the rear end of the sole has passed from beneath it. After a sole has passed from beneath the gate and the gate has fallen it is necessary to raise it again before another sole can be fed to the machine. This raising is accomplished by moving the lever 94 about its pivot 96 first in a clockwise d1rection and then in the opposite direction, such angular movements being imparted to said lever by the cam 98 and a spring 103 which act in'opposition to each other. After the gate 13 has fallen, however, it is desired that it should not be raised until the sole has passed 7 through the splitting mechanism. Accordingly, a bell crank lever 105 has an upright arm which is held in contact with a stop 107 on the lever 94 by a spring 109 which is stronger than the spring 103during the time that the rod 91 is held in its upward position, that is, during the time that a sole is being engaged by the rolls 7 and 9. As soon as the sole passes from between the rolls 7 and 9 and the rod 91 descends, a set screw 111 engage the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever 105 and holds the upright arm away from the stop 107 whereupon the spring 103 raises the latch 99 and with it the gate 13 into the position shown in the drawings in which position the parts come to rest. V

The operation of the machine in so far. as concerns the foregoing mechanism will now be described, assuming the parts to be in the following position :'The gate 13 held open through the projection 101 on its side being engaged by the catch 99, the catch lever 94 in raised position; the gate 69 closed; and

both tappet rods 257, 259 being held rearwardly and their pawls 157, 159 in conse: quence out of engagement with their racks. The piece of work to be measured and evened is passed between the measuring rolls 1, 3 the detecting roll 3 being tipped or lowered according to its thickness, and the slide bar 27 of the grading mechanism being correspondingly moved to a variable extent according to the thinness of the parts of the work subsequently passing between the rolls 1 and 3. Vhen the end of the work that has passed through the rolls 1 and 3 come beneath the gate 69, no matter to what position this latter has been adjusted, the gate will be raised and thereby move the tappet rod 259 clear of its plunger pawl 159 allowing the same to engage its rack 59 and thereby prevent further movement of the slide bar in the direction that take account of increasing thickness. The raising of the gate 69 also, through the forwardly extending arm 265 with its roll 102 turns the catch 99 in opposition to the spring plunger 100 and allows the gate 13 to fall upon the work, this movement being insuflicient to move the tappet rod 257 far enough to free its plunger pawl 157 so that, as the work is traversed with the gate 13 resting upon it, the slide bar 527 will be moved by any successive degrees of thinness of the work passing the detecting roll 3. When. the end of the work passes from beneath the gate 13 the latter will fall and draw the first tappet'rod 257 so that its plunger pawl 157 is free to engage its rack 57, and thereby the slide bar 27 will beIlocked from movement in either direction until the operation upon that piece of work has been completed. When the work passes between the grading rollers 7, 9 the upper one will be raised to the amount permitted by the interacting inclines 5, 43; and through the lever 89 and upwardly projecting rod 91 the cam. plate will be turned so that the clutch gear wheel 83 will be put into gear andthrough intermediate gearing (not shown) rotate the shaft 79 carrying the cam lifter 78 of the marker. During the time that the shaft 79 makes a complete rotation the marker is freed so that the spring hammer 7 6 will bring itinto contact with the work to stamp the same and then is raised ready for the next operation, the parts coming to rest in the position shown. The rotation of the shaft 79 also turns the catch-carrying lever 91% through the cam 98 carried thereon which engages the roller 97 at the end of the said lever. The turning of the lever 91 brings the catch 99 beneath the projection 101 on the gate 13, and the lever is retained thus lowered by the engagement of the upright arm of the bell-crank lever 105 with the stop 107 on the catchcarrying lever 94 until the work has passed out of the machine. When the upper roller 7 of the grading mechanism falls after the work has passed from between the rollers 7, 9 the screw abutment 111 on the upright rod 91 will engage the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever 105 and by turning the same cause the upright arm to move away from the stop 10? on the catch-carrying lever 91 so that the latter can be turned by its spring 103. This turning lifts the gate 13 ready for the reception in the machine of a further piece of work.

As has been stated, it is desirable that the time at which the stamping wheel is released to stamp the sole should vary with the thickness of said sole. In the present machine, as in the ma chine of the prior patent, the stan'iping wheel 1 1 is adapted to be turned in order to bring the proper numeral into operative position, this turning being effected through the link 113 (Fig. 2) by mechanism identical with that of the patented machine. The wheel 14; is normally held in raised position by the cam 78which is so shaped at its trailing or rear end as to free a stop 114i suddenly and thereby permit the spring hammer 76 to bring the.

stamping wheel forcibly into contact with the sole. Inthe patented machine the stop on the stamping wheel carrier with which the lifting cam contacts is rigid with said carrier so that the time of operation of the stamping wheel is the same for a thick as for a thin sole. In the present machine the stop 11% (Figs. 3 and 4c) is carried by a stem 115 which is slidable inthe stamping wheel carrier 116. This stem 115 has at its rear end a roller 117 which is received in a slot 118 in a bracket 119 secured to the slide bar 27. The slot 118 is inclined in the direction shown in Fig. i so that movement ofsaid bar in a direction to separate the inclines 5 and 43in accordance with a thicker sole will push the stem 115 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 and move the stop 11% into a position in which it will be released later by the cam 78. Conversely, movement of the slide bar 27 in a direction to cause approach of the inclines 5 and 43 will cause the stem 115 to be pulled to the left so that its release by the cam will occur earlier.

The effect of the adjustment of the stop 11 1- is shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 8 the stop 11% is shown in full lines in the position it would occupy after having been 'set by a relatively thin sole, and in dotted lines in the position to which it woulddescend. In Fig. 9 is similarly shown the positions which the stop 114; would occupy during the passage of a relatively thick sole through the machine. In each case the angular movement of the cam which must take place before the stop will be lifted again is indicated by a double headed arrow. It will be clear therefore that when the stop 1.141 is in the position shown in Fig. 9 the release of the stop will occur later and its retraction earlier than as though the stop were in the position shown in Fig. 8. With this construction blurring of the marks or symbols stamped upon the work, whatever may be its thickness, will be avoided since the duration of the contact of the stamping wheel with the work will be substantially the same in all cases.

Although the invention has been set forth in connection with a particular machine, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine shown and de scribed.

Throughout the claims the term stock treating means will be used to cover the splitting mechanism, the stamping mechanism or any analogous mechanism whereby the finished soles are so acted upon or manipulated that those of a given thickness may be. distinguished.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oil the United States:

1. A machine of the class described hav- 120 ing, in combination, a stamping member, means or operating said member, and means -for varying the time of said operation in accordance with the thickness of the stock to be stamped.

2. A machine of the class described havmg, 1n comb1nat1on,a stamping member,

means for operating said member, and

proximately constant irrespective of the thickness of said stock.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a stamping member, a spring urging said member at all times toward the path of the stock, a cam normally holding said member retracted against the force of said spring and adapted, when r0- tated, first to release and then to retract said member, and means responsive to an increased thickness of stock for delaying said release.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a stamping member, a spring urging said member at all times to- Ward the path of the stock, a cam normally holding said memberretracted against the force of said spring and adapted, When rotated, first to release and then to retract said member, and means responsive to an Copies of this patent may be obtained for increased thickness of stock for accelerating said retraction.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a stamping member, a stop adjustable with respect thereto, a spring urging said member at all times toward the path of the stock, a cam arranged to cooperate With said stop and release and retract said stamping member, and automatic means operated by the stock in its passage through the machine for adjusting said stop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUGKINGHAM ROBERTS.

\Vitnesses ALEC ADDISON ADoocK, CLAUD BENNION.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

